


Mercy

by PatchworkKat



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-18
Updated: 2015-11-18
Packaged: 2018-05-02 06:59:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5238800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PatchworkKat/pseuds/PatchworkKat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place right at the end of Trespasser. Cole and Iron Bull decide they should let the Inquisitor go peacefully. Dorian does not agree.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mercy

It was such a serene place. Elven ruins rose silent and strong in the distance. Leaves danced through the air as they fell around him. It was as good a place to die as any. The mark snapped and fizzled as it roared to life once more. Solas was gone and there would be no saving him this time. After everything, he was still going to die. 

“Amatus!” The word was a broken plea. Dorian collapsed to his knees beside his lover. He flinched at every painful groan as if the mark hurt him just as much as it did Athros. His hands fluttered uselessly over the elf, trying to figure out how to help. “No, Maker please. Just a little longer.” 

“He’s dying.” Cole was crying. He knelt on the other side of Athros. “So much pain. We need to stop the pain. He doesn’t deserve to hurt so much. The Iron Bull can do it. One swing of his axe and-“

“NO! You want to kill him?!” Dorian threw himself over the inquisitor to protect him. “We’ll find Solas. Make him stop it. We- we still have time.” 

“Dorian, move.” Bull said with no emotion in his voice. Doian shook his head, clinging tight to his dying lover. “Cole?” The little spirit was stronger than Dorian had expected. He screamed as he was pulled away. Athros reached for him, too tired to lift his hand more than an inch from the ground. He mouthed Dorian’s name as Bull moved closer, great axe glinting in the sunlight. 

“PLEASE!” Dorian struggled to no avail. They were going to kill him and there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t focus enough cast a decent spell but flames shot across the ground in his panic. Cole just held him tighter as Bull’s wide back blocked the Inquisitor from sight. 

Dorian knew that no matter how long he lived, or how far he went from this place, the sound of the axe singing through the air would always haunt him. He couldn’t see through his tears when Bull dropped his axe and fell to his knees. He didn’t care if this hurt the bastard. Killing your friend should hurt. There were no more painful gasps and Dorian instantly missed them. 

Bull left the bloodied axe on the ground, as if the very thing repulsed him, and instead moved to lift the Inquisitor’s body. That had Dorian struggling again and this time Cole let him go. “NO! You don’t get to touch him.” Dorian grabbed at his arms, trying to tug Athros away. He didn’t want to see the body, but he didn’t want Bull to hold him either. 

“Dorian.” Cole silently moved to his side, speaking calmly in his ear. “Calm down Dorian. He didn’t do it. He thought of something better. He helped.” Athros’ chest rose and fell with slow breaths. He looked so pail and frail but he was alive some how. 

“I cut off the mark. Hopefully that saves him.” Blood oozed between Bull and the Inquisitor. “We need to get him to a healer or he’ll die from blood loss, or shock.” 

Dorian stared at him for a moment, not understanding why they weren’t moving. Athros needed a healer but they were just staring at Dorian. Slowly it clicked that they were waiting for him. Waiting for him to understand and to agree with it all. “Yes, yes we… Go! Get him to a healer. Hurry!” 

* * *

Athros work up in the softest bed he’d ever laid in. He reached out to his left, wanting to wake Dorian up. Was this the wyvern down bed’s he’d been raving about? They really were soft. Where was Dorian? Why couldn’t he seem to move his hand? He turned his gaze from the beautifully gaudy ceiling above him to the spot where Dorian always slept and let out a panicked cry. 

The sound brought people running. Dorian was at the head of the group and he nearly leapt on Athros in his joy. Instead he settled for kneeling on the bed beside him. “You’re awake. We were starting to think you would never wake up.” He dipped to press a kiss to his lover’s forehead. “If you could stop nearly dying I’d appreciate it.” 

“My arm?” His voice was cracked and dry and prompted Cole to fetch him water. On instinct he reached for the glass with his more dominant hand, then flinched when he realized that wasn’t possible. 

“The mark had to be removed. There was no other way to save you. We couldn’t find Solas.” Bull still looked as guilty as he felt. No one blamed him for what he did. After all it saved Athros in the end, but he still felt he hadn’t done enough. 

“I did. I found him.” Athros turned to cuddle closer to Dorian. He made a quiet little whine until Dorian moved to lay with him and held him in his arms. “I’ll tell you everything. Just let me rest a bit longer.” Later he would tell them of Solas’ plan. He’d warn them about the dangers and address the council. For now he just wanted to be held and loved. He just wanted to enjoy the calm before the next storm. 


End file.
